Timeline: Impeachment trial of Chief Justice Renato Corona

MANILA, Philippines - Day 1 (Jan. 16) Corona pleads not guilty to all charges; Iloilo Rep. Niel Tupas, head of the House prosecution team, enumerates Corona’s “sins,” including alleged partiality toward former President and Wow Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

Day 2 (Jan. 17) In a vote of 14-6, the Senate impeachment court denies the motion of the prosecution to summon Corona and his family members to testify before the impeachment trial, citing Corona’s right against self-incrimination.

Day 3 (Jan. 18) Enriqueta Vidal, the Supreme Court (SC) clerk of court, turns over to the impeachment court Corona’s state statements of assets, liabilities and net worth (SALNs) from 2002 up to 2010.

Day 4 (Jan. 19) Registrars of Taguig and Quezon City present documents showing several properties of Corona. 

Day 5 (Jan. 24) The defense blocks the presentation of prosecution witnesses on allegations that Corona had amassed ill-gotten wealth as a public official. Both the defense and prosecution were asked to submit their lists of witnesses.

Day 6 (Jan. 25) Bureau of Internal Revenue Commissioner Kim Henares testifies that the declared income of Corona and his wife Cristina did not match records of their tax payments.

Day 7 (Jan. 26) The prosecution panel withdraws motion to have Corona and his family’s accounts in four banks presented to the Senate.

Day 8 (Jan. 30) The prosecution panel presents property executives to testify about purchases of expensive condominium units that were allegedly not reflected in Corona’s SALN.

Day 9 (Jan. 31) Lawyer Noli Hernandez, Megaworld SVP for marketing, reiterated no favor was given to the Corona couple in the sale of Unit 38-B penthouse in Bellagio condominium in Taguig City in exchange for a favorable SC decision.

Day 10 (Feb. 1) The defense parries the prosecution’s allegation of irregularities in Corona’s P11-million cash advance from Basa-Guidote Enterprises Inc. (BGEI), a dissolved firm owned by the family of his wife.

Day 11 (Feb. 2) Senators ask the prosecution to explain their claims that Corona had 45 properties but could only prove 24 based on the Land Registration Authority (LRA).

Day 12 (Feb. 6) Senators grant the prosecution’s request to have alleged accounts of Corona in Philippine Savings Bank and Bank of the Philippine Islands subpoenaed and presented before the court.

Day 13 (Feb. 7) The prosecution presents its first witness for Article 3. Robert Anduiza, president of Flight Attendants and Stewards Association of the Philippines, accuses Corona of meddling in the illegal retrenchment case filed against Philippine Air Lines, which allegedly resulted in the SC’s recall of its previous ruling in favor of the petitioner.

Day 14 (Feb. 8) The president of PSBank, Pascual Garcia III, presents peso accounts of Corona but refuses to submit records of the Chief Justice’s dollar deposits.

Day 15 (Feb. 9) The SC stops the Senate impeachment court from compelling the disclosure of dollar accounts of Corona on a vote of 8-5.

Day 16 (Feb. 13) Voting 13-10, the Senate rules to comply with the SC temporary restraining order, preventing the impeachment court from examining Corona’s dollar account allegedly containing at least $700,000 or roughly P30 million.

Day 17 (Feb. 14) Enrile declares the SC cannot assume jurisdiction over the Senate to try and decide an impeachment case. Prosecution lawyers are warned of possible disbarment after PSBank Katipunan branch manager Annabelle Tiongson tells the court that Corona’s bank records presented by the prosecution are “fake.”

Day 18 (Feb. 15) The Senate impeachment court orders Garcia to produce original bank records and authenticate the documents presented by the prosecution panel amid allegations of “leaked” bank documents.

Day 19 (Feb. 16) Tiongson testifies that three of Corona’s time deposits in PSBank with a combined total of P36.5 million as of end-2010 were closed on the day he was impeached by the House.

Day 20 (Feb. 20) Garcia reveals that Corona’s bank accounts were audited by the anti-money laundering arm of BSP, after he is grilled by senator-judges over the reported leak.

Day 21 (Feb. 21) Enrile stops PAL executive from testifying on the alleged travel perks given to Corona, citing that the testimony is irrelevant to Article 3.

Day 22 (Feb. 22) Prosecution drops three charges under the Article 3 involving accusations of impropriety against Corona’s wife, misuse of judicial funds, and discussing with litigants cases pending with the SC.

Day 23 (Feb. 23) Justice Secretary Leila de Lima testifies for the prosecution that Corona was involved in the deliberations on issuance of the TRO to let Arroyo leave the country in November despite facing charges of electoral sabotage.

Day 24 (Feb. 27) The prosecution panel presents a video footage taken by ABS-CBN showing SC spokesman Midas Marquez tackling the issuance of a TRO on the travel restraint on Arroyo. Arroyo’s doctor Juliet Gopez-Cervantes authenticates the medical certificates of Arroyo after her admission at St. Luke’s Medical Center in Taguig City.

Day 25 (Feb. 28) The prosecution ends its presentation of evidences and witnesses by withdrawing the presentation of five of the eight Articles of Impeachment against Corona — Articles 1, 4, 5, 6 and 8 — citing confidence that they already have enough to secure a conviction of Corona.

Day 26 (Feb. 29) Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago confronts prosecution lawyer Vitaliano Aguirre who is cited in contempt for disrespecting the Senate impeachment court.

Day 27 (Mar 12) Defense presents Navotas Rep. Tobias Tiangco as first witness, who testifies that he, along with other congressmen were not able to read the impeachment complaint but were asked to sign it without question.

Day 28 (Mar 13) Demetrio Vicente, a second cousin of Corona, testifies that he owns the seven parcels of land in Marikina City, earlier tagged by the prosecution as part of the 22 properties supposedly not declared by Corona in his SALNs.

Day 29 (Mar 14) Araceli Bayuga, SC’s cash and disbursement division head, and Senate and House of Representatives Electoral Tribunal secretaries Irene Guevarra and Girlie Salarda testify about the earnings of Corona from the time he joined the SC as an associate justice until he became chief justice and as a member of the two bodies.

Day 30 (Mar 15) The defense panel presents Taguig City Assessor’s Office to prove that Corona owns two of the five properties he listed in his 2010 SALN. Quezon City assessor says Corona and his wife have eight properties in the city with tax declarations.

Day 31 (Mar 19) Four more witnesses presented by the defense testify that Corona did not omit declarations in his SALN but some properties were already sold and did not actually belong to him.

Day 32 (Mar 20) Senators grill LRA administrator, Eulalio Diaz III on the accuracy of Corona’s alleged list of real estate properties.

Day 33 (Mar 21) Corona’s lawyers insist Corona owns only five of the 45 real estate properties originally listed by the LRA, but which were used by prosecutors as basis for their request of subpoenas issued by the impeachment court. 

Day 34 (Mar 22) Former Manila mayor Joselito Atienza attests to the city government’s expropriation of land parcels in Sampaloc owned by the BGEI for P34 million. — Charmie Joy Pagulong, STAR Research